Beyond the Shul

Jewish life in St Albans doesn’t have to stop at the synagogue steps. Many of our members are involved in a number of other Jewish communal organisations where we can work, learn and play.

We have listed a few you may be interested in, but this is not an exhaustive list. There are always things going on for people with all sorts of interests.

St Albans Jewish Women’s Forum

This very friendly, lively and active group is unique in that it draws its members from all sections of the community, irrespective of which shul they attend, or even if they never attend any shul at all. In fact, the only qualification for membership is that you should be Jewish and a woman!

The group, which covers a wide range of ages, meets once a month in the comfort of members’ homes. We aim to get together not only to enjoy ourselves through activities we arrange for ourselves, but also to try to learn something from guest speakers about the world around us. We also occasionally venture out of St Albans – lately, we’ve been on a theatre outing and a trip to the Houses of Parliament, with a specially-arranged guided tour by a real, live Lord.

The Forum also organises functions to raise funds for a variety of charitable causes, both Jewish and non-Jewish, local, national and international. Recent events have supported Magen David Adom and the local cancer hospice, Grove House.

St Albans Community Cares

Evolving from the Women’s Forum’s Contact Group, this cross-communal body undertakes any necessary welfare activity in the Jewish community, once again irrespective of any religious affiliation. Assistance and visits to elderly or infirm people can be arranged, and occasional get-togethers are also organised.

Young@Herts

Young@Herts caters for the interests of the over-55s across all the Jewish communities in Hertfordshire. As well as organising its own social events, theatre visits and outings, it also publishes regular listings of events and activities organised by any or all of the various Jewish communities and groups in the country.

Bricket Wood & District Jewish Social Circle

The group, which is unaffiliated to any religious organisation, caters for Jewish families in Bricket Wood, Park Street and Chiswell Green. The group meets monthly with activities such as a Book Circle and trips bowling.